Old Firm derby delivers a classic as 10-man Celtic edge out Rangers in five-goal thriller
Rangers 2 Celtic 3: The victory, secured by Odsonne Edouard, sees Brendan Rodgers' men move nine points clear at the top of the Scottish Premiership
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Your support makes all the difference.Breathless, restless, relentless: the latest edition of the Old Firm lived up to its manic tradition and delivered a fraught, compelling piece of Scottish theatre that was settled, in a development unforeseen, by Odsonne Edouard, a 20 year-old on loan from Paris St. Germain.
Edouard had a walk-on part as a 67th minute substitute as Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers re-ordered his team following the dismissal, ten minutes earlier, of Jozo Simunovic for a stray elbow on Alfredo Morelos.
Rodgers might have been expected to make a defensive change and few thought that Edouard’s introduction would define the outcome; rather it was assumed Morelos would take the chance to win Rangers’ first Old Firm game here for six years.
With not long to go, Morelos was presented with that chance – at least to equalise and salvage pride – but somehow missed from four yards after Scott Bain had parried Josh Windass’s diagonal shot. Ibrox shook with fury.
Bain, like Edouard, was a surprise selection by Rodgers. The goalkeeper on loan from Dundee was here because the first two choices, Craig Gordon and Dories De Vries, are injured. Bain said he found out his Celtic debut would be at Ibrox via an 8am text message.
Although beaten twice, neither Rangers goal was Bain’s doing and he made telling saves when needed. Rodgers praised his “nerve and agility”.
Rodgers was a content manager. He said this was his “most satisfying” victory over Rangers and described it as “immense”. It leaves Celtic nine points clear of Rangers with a game in hand and Ibrox hopes of a title race are over.
It had not seemed like that before kick-off or shortly after when Windass provided a third-minute lead. The noise then could be described as hysterical. That blue sea of Ibrox they sing of, it was roaring.
Windass robbed the dallying Dedrick Boyata 40 yards out and then sprinted towards Bain before spiking a shot beyond him. It was 1-0 and three sides of Ibrox were bouncing.
Composure in such circumstances counts. Windass had it and so, just eight minutes later, did Tom Rogic. The Australian has a sway about him and he roamed inside from 40 yards, advanced and then bent a sweet shot around the full-stretch dive of Wes Foderingham.
Rangers’ response was to keep chasing and on 27 minutes they were back in front. Kristoffer Ajer was another filling a hole for Celtic – at right-back - and Ajer appeared insecure.
He was exposed as Rangers attacked down that flank. Jamie Murphy found Declan John in space and his fast cross flashed across the six-yard box. Both green and blue jerseys missed it but Daniel Candeias, lurking ten yards out at the far post, made assured contact and his shot rifled past Bain via a deflection.
Back came Celtic. Foderingham made saves from Moussa Dembele and Callum McGregor as a mini-siege was laid. Then in the first seconds of first-half added time, Scott Brown launched a 50-yard pass from his own half.
After so much close passing, the sight of this perhaps surprised Rangers’ defence. Dembele was able to run onto the pass and lob Foderingham.
It gave the visitors impetus going into the second half but that looked blunted 12 minutes later with Simunovic’s dismissal for an elbow on Morelos. “I can see why he’s given it,” Rodgers said of the referee’s decision.
This was Rangers’ moment, surely. Instead, Rodgers sent on Edouard who, two minutes later, received a sharp pass from Dembele. Inside the Rangers box, Edouard curled a sumptuous winner into the far corner.
Rangers manager Graeme Murty bemoaned a “lost opportunity” understandably, saying his side were “too slow, had too many touches, were too straight” when faced with ten men.
That deficit in personnel, plus coming from behind twice, then grabbing a dramatic winner - no wonder Rodgers was satisfied.
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